Boeing unveils super-secure smartphone

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has developed a new smartphone capable of encrypting top-secret communications and wiping all data should the device fall into the wrong hands.

The Boeing Black smartphone was designed specifically with security as its main priority, to be used by US defence and security communities "across a range of missions and configurations".

The company states on the product's website: "Despite the continuous innovation in commercial mobile technology, current devices are not designed from inception with the security and flexibility needed to match their evolving mission and enterprise environment.

No price or release date for the device has been given by Boeing, though it is not expected to be made commercially available. Details of the phone emerged in documents published by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday.

"Boeing has developed its Black phone primarily by governmental agencies and their contractors to ensure that data and voice communications undertaken by their respective employees are transmitted and stored in a highly secure manner," the files read.

The device stands apart from other secure devices and apps, such as the similarly named Blackphone or "kill-switches" that can be incorporated into Samsung and Apple products, in that its physical hardware is tamper-proof.

Should anyone attempt to reconfigure or manipulate the Boeing Black, the device immediately becomes inoperable.

"There are no serviceable parts on Boeing's Black phone and any attempted servicing or replacing of parts would destroy the product," the documents explain.

"The Boeing Black phone is manufactured as a sealed device both with epoxy around the casing and with screws, the heads of which are covered with tamper-proof covering to identify attempted disassembly."